I have found the most efficient way to irrigate my garden is
with drip irrigation. It is efficient and easy to assemble.
To get started, you will need to select a supplier. Not all
parts are interchangeable, so make sure you pick someone that you intend to
stick with for a long time. It is pretty frustrating when you get all set up,
only to find that when you need repair parts you can’t find ones that fit.
Here is a list of supplies you will need:
Polyethylene tubing-1/2”
Elbows
T’s
Straight Connectors (also known as menders)
4 gallon per hour emitters
Tubing cutter
Hole punch
In-line valve
Flush valve
Heavy wire
Pliers
Battery Operated Timer (optional)
Gated Y hose bib (optional)
The quantities of everything you will need are based on how
big of an area you are irrigating. Lay the plan out on paper so you have a
pretty good idea of how much tubing, fittings, and emitters you will need.
Assembling the system is quite easy. If your garden is
fairly large, you will want to have each planting bed on a separate system, or
at least install an in-line valve so you can turn one off while watering
another. The system can lie on the ground as the polyethylene tubing is
unaffected by sunlight. I use a gated Y at the faucet, too, to separate beds. Design
your system so you have a flush valve at each bed to clean out calcium buildup.
I also made mine so that each area was set up in such a way that I can fold
back the entire layout when I need to rototill.
I always wire all connections together to make sure they do
not come apart. If you opt for the
battery operated timer, you can run your irrigation in the very early morning
hours, which reduces the changes of the fittings coming apart. Early morning is
the best time to water as it reduces loss to evaporation and decreases the
chance for the fittings to come apart since they expand in the heat of the day.
Space emitters 1 to 2 feet apart. You will be planting at
each emitter, and not along the whole length of the line.
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